“Madness!” Rihanna for River Island LFW show report: Was she worth the wait?

Bra tops! String vest dresses and nipples galore! So far, so Rihanna… but was her River Island show worth the wait?

London Fashion Week got geared up and giddy for Rihanna's debut catwalk collection for River Island on Saturday night.

And Rihanna certainly knows how to bag her some headlines. All you had to do was cop a look at her debut collection to see that. Nipples! String vest dresses! Thigh-high slits and thigh-high leather buckle boots! Sexy stuff.

Frenzied fans and celebrity FROW-goers jostled for space on what was arguably the most overly-subscribed LFW show that the capital has seen in seasons .

It’s fair to say the Where Have You Been singer, 24, knows how to sing too – she’s nothing if not talented. Oh and she oozes sex appeal and wears dresses, well, really rather well too. In essence, she was a high street collaboration waiting to happen.

But style experts fought it out on Twitter before the show, with some leading Fashion Editors tottering away in protest – and off to Thomas Tait’s show - claiming that 'the celebrity designer' is stealing the limelight from new, raw, design talent.

Rex

Some models do some modelling

Then again, 53.2% of the rest of the world (ish) went to stare at Rihanna for River Island.

Running at 47 minutes late and counting, Rihanna certainly had that whole ‘being fahhhsionably late’ thing perfected. (*Feel free to insert a very obvious Where Have You Been quip here*)

But was her collection really worth the wait? Should the attention have gone to Tait?

Or is Rihanna so “fierce” (her words) and “fashionably fit” (ours) that frankly the girl can get away with being light years late for her own show… just so long as she keeps the rest of us in high chic, low price and WOAH-THERE SEXY slip dresses for the foreseeable?

Yeah probably that last one. We’re a sucker for a slip dress, sorry.

WATCH Rihanna’s catwalk show via video below - though be warned - if you’re not a fan of f-bombs, it’s best to turn the volume down, there were a lot ...

Unfortunately, thanks to the delays, the general mood on the front row was said to be “bored, hungry and tired” pre-show. Which doesn’t translate quite so well to a sheath dress, perhaps she could rustle up a “seriously peeved tee” next time.

RIHANNA’S BEST BITS:

-The BIG Tees: “I love a mini black t-shirt dress, you don’t want to over think it [we’re assuming she means getting dressed] in the morning”

Ahem to that.

-The Baywatch body: In that it’s a red body - that in truth most people (bar Rihanna) would struggle to pull off. Let along pull on – but it’s a nice ‘90s reference nonetheless.

-The Sheer Sheath Dress: Err, ditto to above. Sexy? Yes. But one that’s best worn in the privacy of your own home – or layered up. No one needs to see nipple in the workplace.

Rex

'Some people stand in the darkness, afraid to step into the light'

THE VERDICT:

Fashionably late or just late late, Rihanna may want to think about including a timepiece in her next collection. But – tardiness aside – she did good.

With a hearty nod to the ‘90s (incidentally big news in 2013) the line was wearable, and very Rihanna. As she herself admitted: “In a selfish way, I designed a collection that I could wear”.

Which is something surely most of us would do given the chance? Simple 'core' cuts, jersey fabrics and clever details (denim shirts stitched on mini skirts anyone!?) ensure that as far as high street collaborations go, this one won’t disappoint. Put bluntly, it's nigh on impossible to make all that jersey feel cheap.

Be with the 1990s spaghetti strap dresses, dungarees, mechanic suits or her signature hoops, Rihanna’s pulled a ‘Kate Moss’ – i.e not got fussy with her fashion line – instead just replicating her own wardrobe for less.

Meaning, if you love Rihanna and/or River Island you'll be smitten and might want to start thinking about how giddy you’ll feel when it lands in River Island stores and online on Tuesday March 5.

And if you don’t like Rihanna or River Island? Ah come on, surely a loose-fitting tee won't do you any harm!?
VIEW GALLERY

See pictures from the Rihanna for River Island show in the gallery above, as well as snaps of RiRi's celebrity friends arriving for the show AND how the main lady partied post-show. And see which other celebs have been hitting up LFW below...